A top ally of Pope Francis is urging parishes in his archdiocese to incorporate the pope’s 2016 apostolic letter on families into pastoral care ministries, becoming the latest U.S. prelate striving to keep momentum behind “Amoris Laetitia” by encouraging church ministers to reach out to families, including those living in “irregular” situations.
Cardinal Donald Wuerl, the archbishop of Washington, will preach on Sunday about the document, “Sharing in the Joy of Love in Marriage and Family,” during Sunday Mass at D.C.’s Cathedral of Saint Matthew the Apostle. The archdiocese said the publication has been distributed in English and Spanish to all its 139 parishes Washington and Maryland.
“The rule to follow in all cases,” the reflection says of family ministry, “is the love and mercy of the Lord.”
“The rule to follow in all cases,” the reflection says of family ministry, “is the love and mercy of the Lord.”
The nearly 60-page document, which includes a reflection on the primacy of conscience in Catholic life along with tips for pastoral ministers on how to walk with Catholics in “irregular” family situations, quotes heavily from “Amoris Laetitia” and ties the pope’s teaching to those of his predecessors, including Pope Benedict XVI.
Cardinal Wuerl was present at the 2014 and 2015 synods in Rome called by Pope Francis that serve as the basis for “Amoris Laetitia,” which has become something of a lighting rod since its publication. Some bishops who support the pope’s pastoral vision are holding seminars, issuing reflections and encouraging priests to reflect on the letter’s teachings.
In the United States, the Diocese of San Diego was an early adopter, with Bishop Robert McElroy holding a diocesan-wide synod focused on the letter in 2016. Bishops in Germany and Argentina have embraced the letter’s more controversial aspects, including creating a pathway to Communion for some divorced and remarried Catholics. More recently, a number of U.S. bishops, including Cardinal Blase Cupich and Cardinal Joseph Tobin, gathered with lay theologians at seminars at Boston College, Notre Dame and Santa Clara University to discuss ways to integrate “Amoris Laetitia” into parishes.
Critics have accused Francis of undermining church teaching in some areas, especially when it comes to divorce and remarriage. The D.C. letter tries to calm those fears, stating, “No, the Church’s teaching has not changed; objective truth remains unaffected.”
Nonetheless, the document encourages pastoral ministers, “with humility and compassion, to reach out to the people and families who struggle to live the teaching on marriage, and to help them to overcome obstacles through discernment, dialogue and prayerful support and understanding to overcome obstacles.”
The document encourages pastoral ministers, “to reach out to the people and families who struggle to live the teaching on marriage.”
The document says that “a world marked by secularism, materialism and individualism, all supporting a prevalent and dominant relativism,” makes it difficult for many families to receive church teaching. However, it says, Pope Francis “asks us to be a Church that walks with individuals and families whose marriages or family life may not reflect the fullness of God’s vision and to assure them of their place in the family of God and share the Good News that in Jesus all things will be made new.”
Regarding Catholics living in irregular situations—including those who are divorced and remarried, cohabiting or identify as gay or lesbian—the letter states that “a person whose situation in life is objectively contrary to moral teaching can still love and grow in the faith, he or she can still take steps in the right direction and benefit from God’s mercy and grace while receiving the assistance of the Church.”
It gives concrete examples of how to “accompany” people living in various circumstances, including the “hurting,” the “distracted” and the “anonymous.”
“For some, anonymity means the lack of authentic friendships, sneaking in and out of church without notice, young people church-hopping Sunday after Sunday without belonging to a parish community, or simply the ‘same-old, same-old’ drudgery day after day,” the document says.
“Many others feel anonymous within their own families, communities, or churches,” it continues, “the poor, persons with mental health challenges, those of different races or ethnicities who are not part of a majority, the divorced and remarried, those experiencing infertility or miscarriage, the undocumented and other immigrants, those without jobs or the underemployed, single people, those who identify with same-sex attraction.”
“A Church that accompanies will go out to call each person by name and to welcome back those who feel lost or alone,” it says.
The document includes several practical suggestions on how to engage Catholics of all ages in family ministry, as well as ideas for families struggling with particular challenges, including those facing separation because of military service, challenges with migration and family members with special needs.
The archdiocese said in a press release that it was promulgating the reflection in anticipation of the 2018 World Meeting of Families, which kicks off in Dublin this summer.
Correction: This article initially misstated when the apostolic letter was announced by Cardinal Wuerl.
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